Disco de Lulu: “From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu”

At her best, Lulu was - and still is - one of Britain's finest singers. This skilfully compiled CD proves it. Lulu also recorded some songs that really don't bear repeated plays, but Rhino has wisely excluded them from this set. It is for that reason that I bought this CD instead of one of the various British compilations. The best of her British sixties hits are here, but anybody seeking Let's Pretend, Love loves to love love, I'm a tiger and Boom bang a bang can find them elsewhere easily enough.

Shout (a cover of an Isley brothers song) is what Lulu is best remembered for in Britain, while To sir with love (which includes the phrase From crayons to perfume in it's lyrics) is what Lulu is best remembered for in America. Both of them, though totally different types of song, show Lulu at her brilliant best.

Other classics include The boat that I row (a British hit, and the flip side of To sir with love, which remained the B side in Britain), Leave a little love (a lovely ballad), Oh me oh my (later covered by Aretha), The man with the golden gun (one of the best James Bond theme songs) and I could never miss you, a top 20 American hit.

Also worthy of mention is the weird David Bowie song, The man who sold the world. I didn't like it when it was first released, but I appreciate it better now.

So, I regard this as the best compilation of Lulu's early music, it being that rare breed - a compilation that includes all the great tracks without all the rubbish.

Back in 1967 a junior high girl I was sweet on really loved "To Sir With Love', and in a vain attempt to win her over I pretended to like it too. Except, long after that ill-fated romance was over I still found that doggone song running through my mind. Then , over the next few years, Lulu would release something else that caught my ear. First came her terrific version of "Morning Dew", then the really cool "Oh,Me Oh My", which was from a Jerry Wexler produced, Muscle Shoals recording called 'New Routes'.For me to fork over my hard earned moolah in 1970 for an album by Lulu meant that it had better be good, and it was! This Scots lass sings her hiney off! She's as gifted a white soul singer as Dusty Springfield, and she handles the non- soul material she's sometimes had foisted on her with cool class and aplomb. This is as good as a collection as is out there currently. Docked one star for not including more of the Muscle Shoals recordings, because you need to hear Duane Allman tearing it up behind Lulu's smoldering vocals! Heck, now that I think it over I'm not so guilty as I thought I was. This CD's a lulu!

Remember that perky little blonde/redhead from the sixties that sang, "To Sir With Love"? Oh yeah. Well, she never disappeared - only in the old USA. That girl born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie in 1948 had her first big hit, "Shout" (Isley Brothers) in 1967 at the age of fourteen. That song alone regularly sold enough copies to be in Britain's TOP 200 for the following 20 years!

She's recorded hit songs (on this set) written by Neil Diamond, Don Black, Mark London, Harry Nilsson, the Bee Gees, David Bowie and John Barry. The latter writer gave her, "The Man With The Golden Gun", a Bond film classic theme song. Oddly enough, Bowie was a big Lulu fan and helped her release, "Watch That Man" and "The Man Who Sold The World". Her song choices range from ballads to rock and roll standards. In the sixties she was virtually protected by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles who she had toured with. She was a legend as a teenager.

This collection of twenty songs is great, even if it only goes as far as 1979. However, Lulu continued past that to this very day. If you can find her UK LP recording of "Independence", it is well worth the cost. Lulu proves that as a little Scottish lass, she is still at top form in her fifties. She has that kind of voice.

I wanted the single "To sir with love" and ended up with an entire album of "great" music.

Lulu has a long (and still running) career. Necessarily this disc can only provide a sketchy overview. As such, it's pretty good. Rhino has the rights to the Atco/Atlantic back catalogue. What they need to do is reissue Lulu's two classic Atco LPs "New Routes" and "Melody Fair" in their entirety. These dolly-bird-in-Memphis masterpieces are her strongest albums. So, please Rhino, do the right thing. Until then, if you think Lulu is only "To Sir with Love," buy this disc and get a clue.